Man dies in fire in Providence's Smith Hill

Mark Reynolds, The Providence Journal
·1 min read
A Providence Fire Department ladder truck. Legislation that would allow construction of apartment buildings up to six stories tall with only one stairway instead of two has drawn fierce opposition from the state's fire officials.

PROVIDENCE — A man was found dead at the scene of a fire on Young Avenue in Smith Hill late Friday afternoon, according to a Fire Department administrator.

Firefighters found the man in a second-floor bathroom, Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Dolan said.

They had seen heavy fire in that part of the house as they attacked the flames, he said.

Large amounts of clutter and other hoarded items impeded the firefighters' access to that portion of the house, slowing them down, Dolan said.

The two-alarm fire at 5 Young Ave. drew 40 to 50 firefighters to the scene after about 3 p.m., said Dolan, who had no information to provide on the identity of the person or the cause of the fire.

An investigation continues, he said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Hoarding conditions cited in fatal fire in Providence